Severe weather of any kind can cause problems for a homeowner; especially in winter. Aside from the obvious clearing snow from rooftops and driveways, you should make sure the rest of your home is secure when winter weather arrives. Farryn Electric has 5 Electrical Safety tips you should know about winter electrical maintenance.
TIP #1 – Home generator systems should have routine maintenance to ensure functionality. No it will not maintain itself, hopefully one day! The area around the generator should be clear of any debris, the oil needs to be changed as recommended on the manufacturer’s manual. Proper maintenance is encouraged to include having a skilled electrician out annually to professionally calibrate and maintain your generator. If you need a recommendation, I know a FABULOUS ONE 😉
TIP #2 – Before and after a winter storm, be sure to check outdoor outlets and cords for exposure and damage. Any fixture for example security lighting and landscape lighting should be checked for any signs of rust or frayed wiring. If you perceive any damage – promptly have it fixed.
TIP #3 – Light fixtures ought to have the correct bulb type with the proper wattage. I used to think… bulb lamp aha finally lights on and kids aren’t screaming they are afraid of the dark! Little did I (Stephanie) know using the correct bulb extends the life of both fixtures and bulbs as well as prevents fire. (Dan was ever so delighted to explain)
TIP#4 – Older electrical systems can have many issues mainly outdated code standards and over or undersized breakers. We at Farryn Electric provide free safety inspections and comprehensive estimates for our customers. Realtors maybe interested in making this information known to their clients buying an older home.
TIP #5 – Fire Alarm safety, I cannot stress this enough = DO NOT WAIT UNTIL IT BEEPS CONTINUOUSLY AT 3AM; It’s annoying for one, and NOT the safest way to ensure your smoke detectors are functioning properly. Test them monthly to ensure they work properly! Replace the batteries every 6 months. Check the expiration dates… yes they do expire usually a 10 year life expectancy, however, older models expire in 2-3 years.
Tip #4 is especially applicable for me and my wife. We just bought an older home and are moving in this weekend. I have been wondering if we should look into some commercial electrical services that can come and just do a run through to make sure our system is okay and up-to-date. I want to make sure we will be safe using the electricity, I don’t want any unnecessary incidents happening to us. I think I will feel better once a professional comes and looks at it. Thanks for the safety tips!
It’s helpful to know that using the correct bulb for lamps can, “…extend the life of both fixtures and bulbs as well as prevent fire.” I definitely didn’t know how serious the consequences could be for choosing the wrong kind of bulb! My wife and I just moved into our first home so we are quickly learning all the electric details. We will certainly buy the right kind of light bulbs from now on! Thanks for your help!
I like that there are electrical safety tips that you need to follow for your own protection. I am glad to know that you should always have a professional work on your electrical work. That is interesting that you need to make sure to do seasonal maintenance to your electrical system.
Electrical safety in my home is really important to me, so I’m glad that you posted these tips. Running regular maintenance on my generator system seems like an important place to start. Clearing the area it’s in of debris and giving it an oil change seem good to know. I’ll make sure to do those things to keep my generator system properly maintained. Thanks for the tips!
I’ll never turn down tips for electrical safety. I have young kids, so this is especially important to me. I liked your tip to replace smoke detector batteries every 6 months rather than waiting for them to beep. Thanks for sharing this.